Ever since I was a little kid, I've been fascinated with magic. Growing up, becoming a magician was right there on the list along with juggler, puppeteer, special effects artist, actor and stuntman. I learned a few magic tricks, worked puppets, juggled and performed in tons of plays, but never really got good enough to turn any of them into a career. The closest I came was working for several years as an effects artist for a local haunted attraction. Stuntman was completely out of the question because it turned out that I had a fear of just about everything from heights to speeding cars. So instead I write about them all. But getting back to magic, I used to buy every magic book I could find (this was way before the internet reared its ugly, yet helpful, head) and poured over them until I knew everything there was to know about Houdini and Blackstone (both Sr. and Jr.). I watched every special on magic that aired and as the years went by my interest moved on to the likes of David Copperfield, whom I still consider to be one of the greatest living illusionists (and one heck of a showman). After that it seemed like the world of Magic began to change.

About 5 or 6 years ago, however, magic went back into the streets when performers like David Blaine and Criss Angel made the scene. Each had their own particular style, Blaine coming across more like a quiet shaman, while Angel took on the looks and attitude of your average rock star. What they both had in common was that their close-up illusions were done mostly outdoors and offered up to large audiences through the 'magic' of television. It was up to the viewer to decide if what they saw was exactly what was seen by the performer's 'victims' or if there was a little camera trickery involved. I preferred to think these guys were just really that good.

They also stretched their own boundaries by attempting stunts that would normally not be possible by the average human. Blaine's were presented in a series of specials a few years ago, while Angel had the opportunity to create a 'reality' series for A&E. Part of the first season of the series, "Mindfreak" was recently released on a "Best of…" compilation DVD, which gave me my first opportunity to see just what this guy had to offer.

My first impression of Angel was that (as I mentioned before) he looked more like a rock star than a magician. But while is image elevated him above that of most mortals, his laid back attitude and Jersey boy made him seem more like your average best buddy from high school. But you can still tell that there is something a little different about him. Something about the look in his eye… well that and the fact that he goes to great lengths to let you see what great shape he's in (you know the type… open shirts and the like.

It seems the reason he keeps himself in such great shape, aside from the fact that it helps attract the ladies, is that along with performing his illusions he also attempts dangerous stunts that push the limits of the human condition. Most of the episodes of his series were themed towards these stunts, such as "Burned Alive" where he set himself on fire (obviously), "Levitation" in which he levitated (again obviously) and "Hellstromism", which was not quite so obvious….

This month A&E is releasing a new Criss Angel DVD, entitled "Mindfreak Halloween." Here Angel performs at the Magic Castle in Hollywood, then jumps to New York (though not literally) and hits audiences with some brand new illusions. The most interesting being a cool escape effect where he is handcuffed, shackled then nailed into a wooden casket. This in itself would not be so impressive were it not for the fact that the casket is then fed into a BioChipper! The new DVD also includes two more episodes from the 1st season. (Still don’t know why they didn't just release the whole season.)

All in all I was extremely impressed by Angel's abilities as an illusionist and aside from the MTV style of camera work that gives my eyes a workout, I thoroughly enjoyed this "Mindfreak" special.

Starring: Criss Angel
Extras: Two New "Best of Episodes" from "Criss Angel Mindfreak: Season 1"
Studio: A&E
Release Date: 8/29/2006
Region 1
MPAA Rating: NR
Website
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We'll give Criss Angel Mindfreak: Halloween a B+.